SP to go solo in Mumbai civic polls

The Samajwadi Party today said it will not forge an alliance to fight the upcoming Mumbai civic polls due early next year.
"We are going to contest the election to Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai on our own strength. We are not going to form an alliance with any party," SP's Maharashtra unit head Abu Asim Azmi told reporters here.
Azmi said the party's has a bad experience of fighting the last polls in an alliance with Congress. Hence, it has decided to go it alone.
"Last time in 2012, Congress kept us in the dark and ditched us on the last day of filing the nomination. SP did not want to divide the secular votes, but Congress deceived us," Azmi alleged.

There is "no efficient leadership" in Congress. Therefore, the question of an alliance with the party does not arise, he said.
"We have planned to contest at 125 seats of 227 seats and will expand our base," Azmi said, adding SP's manifesto would be released by next month.
At present, SP has nine corporators in MCGM.